


Crossed

by Scriptor_Bellum



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, I know it doesn't sound super exciting but hopefully it'll pick up momentum!!!, Multi, Mystery, Past Abuse, Past Lives, SO HERE THE FUCK I AM BABEY, Slow Burn, Violence, and this story was NEVER executed properly I had no idea where it was going, but this story deserved to be told how it should have been, more tags will probably be added!!, no idea how to create a real plot of my own without relying on tropes or blatant copying, past me was a Mess with writing, this is a rewrite of an OOOOOOOLD fic from like 13 fucking years ago lmao, we'll see exactly how this goes, when past me was still a shitty writer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:00:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25055851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scriptor_Bellum/pseuds/Scriptor_Bellum
Summary: When three friends are thrown into the universe of Yu-gi-oh with no warning, no explanation, and no way home, it soon becomes clear that there are more strings being pulled than they realized. They’re twisted beyond belief, and these strings need to be cut before everyone in the middle is strangled.Ryou/OC, Seto/OC, Marik/OC; Yami Bakura/OC, Set/Kisarabig, improved rewrite of an ancient thing!!
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/OC, Marik Ishtar/OC, Mazaki Anzu | Tea Gardner/Mutou Yuugi, Set/Kisara, Yami Bakura/OC, bakura ryou/oc
Kudos: 1





	Crossed

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted to Fanfiction.net! https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13595278/1/Crossed

If there’s one thing Melanie Palmer knows, it’s _Yu-gi-oh._

Not only has she seen the entirety of the original series and spin-offs, she’s also dedicated time to learning the game of Duel Monsters. When she isn’t working, she’s watching the show. When she isn’t watching the show, she’s playing the game. When she isn’t playing the game, she’s drawing the characters to the full extent of her artistic ability or reading fanfiction about them.

As much as everyone tells her that a TV show is a bad or uninteresting hobby, she’s adamantly refused to give it up. She picked up the show during her freshman year of high school; surprisingly even to her, its prevalent themes of friendship and determination got her through the next four years of her life. Even now that she’s been out of school for a few years, the series and its characters have continued to be her constant companions.

… Well, aside from her real-life friends, that is.

Rosalind Esposito and Akela Childs are two women she met in high school, through the after-school Duel Monsters club. To their credit, neither of them are nearly as invested in _Yu-gi-oh_ as Melanie is. Rosalind only hung around with the club after school because her younger brother was a fan of the show. Akela used to be a fan of the game and still occasionally plays, but she was never too interested in the show itself.

Some of Melanie’s enthusiasm eventually rubbed off on the two of them. Even though Rosalind and Akela have only seen a handful of episodes combined, they’ve always been excited to hear Melanie talk about it. Somehow, that’s meant more to Melanie than hanging out with the friends who were just as into the show.

Despite the tendency of high school friends to lose touch after graduating, the friendship between the three of them has only grown stronger since then. They all took jobs in the same place shortly after they got out of high school; at the moment, they’re all working full-time at a hotel. It certainly doesn’t hurt their friendship that they all typically work at night and are able to talk a little every day ― usually when Rosalind and Akela are on breaks.

“Wow, there’s a famous artist here in the hotel,” Akela calls with a hum as she approaches the front desk. A playful smirk forms on her face as she leans over to see what Melanie’s currently drawing. “Why aren’t you up in your room, ma’am? Did you drink too much? I can walk you back!”

Melanie snorts, flipping her paper over to show her friend. “You’re such a dork.”

Almost as if on cue, the front door opens to let Rosalind walk through from outside. The smell of smoke is still clinging to her even though her hand is empty. “Somebody called for a dork?”

“Yeah, and you didn’t get here fast enough!” Melanie teases. Another few pieces of paper are slipped up on top of the desk, sketches without any color added in yet. “I’m gonna get you _fired!_ ”

“Oooooh, the owner’s gonna hear about this.” Although her voice is as flat as ever, Akela’s smile reaches her eyes as she joins in. “You better apologize, Ros. Mel’s gonna have your job, and then how are you gonna afford your cigarettes and ice cream?”

Rosalind rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry about me. If I lose my job, I’ll just bum off one of _you_ guys till I find a cute guy to take care of me.”

Akela’s eyes sparkle even more. “Far be it from me to turn into a crazy party girl, but good food and legal drugs on someone else’s dime ― that sounds awesome.” Her smirk only gets more devious as she taps one of the papers Melanie laid out. It’s a sketch of Seto Kaiba, one of the main antagonists of the original _Yu-gi-oh._ “Hey, you think Kaiba would be my sugar daddy? He’s rich and cute. I’d let him beat me in duels. Whenever he wanted. Three times a week. Four, maybe. More than that if he’s got the _stamina._ ”

“Oh, my God!” Melanie laughs, and this time she has to cover her face. With every addition after the initial question, she’s started laughing harder. In her mind, for some stupid reason, she can see Seto and Akela together and it just _works._ “He can’t be your sugar daddy, though. Even in this picture I drew, he’s just around your age. A sugar daddy is supposed to be, like… at least twice your age, right? Like, at least fifty or sixty.”

A pout makes its home on Akela’s face now, and she crosses her arms with a scoff. “Okay, fine. So he’ll be my… shit, I don’t know. Sugar boy toy?”

“At this point I’d settle for a sugar _sister,_ ” Rosalind sighs. Her hand reaches down to pull one of the other pictures forward, a portrait of another first-series antagonist, Marik Ishtar, at about the same age as Melanie drew Seto. “Like, some lady who’ll pay me to just hang out and do sister things with her. Sugar sister. Sugar brother. Somethin’ like that.”

Melanie gave her other friend a deadpan expression. “Ros, you have more brothers and sisters than anyone I know.”

“Okay, yeah, but they all hate my ass!”

“In their defense, your ass is a pretty big target.”

“… Bitch.”

“And that’s why you love me!”

After a few seconds of silence, Rosalind finally cracks a smile. “Okay, yeah, you’re right about that.” Her eyes flicker down to the paper her fingers landed on. “Who’s this one, again? I suck with the names, but he’s pretty.”

Melanie’s face lights up at the casual interest her friend shows. It’s always something she loves; Rosalind and Akela almost certainly know that. “That’s Marik. These earrings I drew him with are different ones than he wears in the show. I like those ones, but I felt like trying something different since I drew him a little older. Actually, they’re all older, and… do you think they look okay?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely!” Rosalind traces her finger down the side of one of the lines making up Marik’s hair. “Ten outta ten, I’d kiss this guy. More than once, probably. ― Absolutely. Absolutely more than once.”

For her answer, she gets a genuine grin out of her friend, and Melanie shifts the last paper she has up onto the desk. “Not really what I meant, but that definitely works!” She shrugs, pointing toward the last one. “I was experimenting with how they’d look older. Not much changed, I guess, but… I’m really happy with how Ryou’s turning out. Isn’t he cute?”

Akela leans forward to get a better look. “Oh, yeah, this is the one you _really_ like, right? Ryou… Bakura, I think. He’s adorable.” Her manicured nail drags down the side of the drawing’s cheek. “Even older, he still looks, like… so soft. He’s like the softest character in the entire series. Sweetheart. Baby boy. Deserves the world.”

“Ugh, you’re so right, and _yeah,_ I just love him.” After Rosalind gets a little peek at that picture, Melanie presses it back against her chest and sighs happily. “Sometimes I just wish these guys were real. Like we could meet them! Seriously. I would give _anything_ to be able to meet Ryou.”

“Awwww,” Rosalind pouts, “ _we’re_ anything, you know!”

The black woman grins sheepishly, although it’s telling that she doesn’t move the picture. “Okay, okay, I’d give _almost_ anything. Wouldn’t it be cool, though?” After a few seconds she moves the picture back, and stares into the big, soulful eyes she’s drawn on Ryou. Her heartbeat quickens in her chest, aching for something she knows she’ll never have. “Knowing he was real and being able to meet him… that would probably make my life complete.”

“I guess it’d be kinda cool,” Akela admits, picking up the picture of Seto. “Imagine all the duels we could have! We’d be able to face off against everyone. And ― well, we’d probably get our butts kicked considering these are the greatest duelists in the world, but… it’d be a fun story to tell.”

Rosalind decides to follow her friends’ example and takes the drawing of Marik to continue looking at. “Hey, you know what? If it would get me a break from dealing with my own shitty family, it’d be pretty great. Maybe I’d understand what you guys see in this stuff.”

The three of them are quiet for a long moment, mentally wishing the same thing even though they know it’s ridiculous.

Their silence is broken by the front door to the lobby opening, followed by a man in a cloak stepping inside.

Akela and Rosalind move away from the desk, allowing a wide berth for the man to approach if he needs something from Melanie. They stay close, though, just in case. As far as they heard from the managers when they started tonight’s shifts, things were supposed to be pretty quiet tonight. If anyone wants to come in and start trouble, it’ll be a hell of a lot harder to fend off three women than just one.

“Hello!” Melanie greets as the man walks closer to the desk. Despite the late hour, she and her friends are as upbeat as ever since they’re used to working these shifts. “How can I help you, sir?”

“Hello.” When he speaks, there’s some kind of accent lacing his voice that none of the trio can put their finger on. “My apologies for the imposition, and I will go elsewhere if your answer is no, but would you happen to have any rooms free? I need one just for the night, please, regardless of the price.”

Melanie hums, bringing up the software on her computer that shows her the current list of occupied rooms. “Sure! We should still have some available for pretty cheap, especially if you’re just staying for one night. As far as I know, we’re not super booked up, so let me check for you real quick.”

The two of them go back and forth for a moment, with Melanie eventually finding a decently-priced room and the man giving her cash for his stay as well as some extra for a tip and a card number to pay for any room service or incidentals. Akela and Rosalind stay to the side for the most part, both checking their phones. Finally, Melanie hands over a keycard to the man. “Okay, you’re all set! Is there anything else you needed, sir?”

“No, I don’t think so.” He stands there for another few seconds before taking a step back. “These two women here are your friends, yes?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. It’s lucky that we work the same shifts in the same place or we’d probably never see each other!”

His cloak shifts, allowing them to see what appears to be a genuine smile. “Yes, you are all very lucky. It’s a good idea to keep your friends close. Nobody wants to be alone, isn’t that right?”

When he glances toward the other two, Akela offers what she hopes is a disarming grin. “Yeah, exactly! You’re not alone tonight by choice, then?”

That smile of his takes on a mysterious quality. “Not by choice, no. By necessity.”

“Well,” Rosalind speaks up, “maybe being alone won’t be necessary tomorrow. Or, I mean… maybe it’s not as necessary as you think it is.”

If it’s possible, the mystery in his smile amps up even more. “You are all very smart young ladies.” His fingers grip the keycard as he steps toward the flight of stairs that leads to the second floor of the hotel. “Many people think things like choice, necessity, fate… are carved in stone. But it isn’t always so. You are wise to question it all.”

Although there’s something ominous about his words and the way he speaks, Melanie can’t help but feel a little flattered. “Hey, thank you! We’ll try our best to keep being wise. If there’s anything you need tonight, just call down here and I’ll do my best to make it happen. Enjoy your stay!”

The man gives her a nod. Strangely enough, his smile still hasn’t vanished. “Thank you. You three enjoy the rest of your night. Maybe it will go better than you expect.”

With that, the women blink, and he’s suddenly vanished up the stairs.

“Well, that was a little creepy,” Akela speaks up after a few seconds of silence between them.

“At least he’s only staying for one night,” Rosalind pitches in.

Melanie rolls her eyes at the two of them. “Maybe my favorite show’s desensitized me to weirdness or something, but he’s not that much worse than a lot of other people we get in here.”

The other two look at each other for a moment before shrugging. “Coulda been worse, definitely,” Rosalind admits.

“Speaking of worse,” Akela sighs, “I should get back to the kitchen before Chef gripes at me for being thirty seconds over my break.”

Rosalind hums in agreement as she stretches her arms. “Yeah, same here. If I don’t get these last rooms cleaned and arranged before I leave, Blanche is gonna have my head when I show up tomorrow night.”

“And Chef would probably make me cook it for dinner,” Akela teases.

“God, you guys are gross!” Melanie laughs again, pulling out her deck of cards. “What would you do, Akela? Bake it or fry it?”

Rosalind scoffs. “Nobody’s cooking my head!”

“Probably fry it,” Akela says. “That’s what you do to stuff that doesn’t usually taste good, right?”

“What about side dishes?”

In an instant, Melanie’s flicked on the forehead by her friend, despite that fact that Rosalind is laughing along with them. “Stop encouraging this, Mel!”

They’re all quiet, then Akela blurts out, “Fried Rosalind on a bed of spaghetti with a side of garlic bread.”

Rosalind groans through her smile. “I’m gonna serve _you_ on a bed of spaghetti with a side of garlic bread!”

The sound of Melanie bursting into laughter rings through the hotel lobby, followed shortly by the laughter of the other women.

“Okayyyy,” Akela finally concedes. “I guess we should probably leave you alone so you can review your strategies for the next children’s card game tournament. You need all the prep you can get.”

“That’s right!” Melanie sticks out her tongue. “Get back to work before I challenge you to a duel and kick your butts!”

The snort that follows is from Rosalind. “ _Oooooh,_ scary.”

“Hey, don’t mock me! I’ll send you to the Shadow Realm!!”

“And that’s our cue to get the heck outta Dodge,” Akela chuckles, stepping toward the kitchen doors. “You leave our eternal souls alone, Mel. See ya when we get off in a few hours.”

Rosalind raises her hand in a lazy wave as she heads to the stairs. “Yeah, see you guys. Maybe you can kick my butt at the game before we fall asleep!”

A smile forms on Melanie’s face and she looks down at her deck. The card that stares back up at her is one of her favorites ― _Change of Heart._ Her face softens, the memory of her favorite character coming along with the card. This is Ryou’s favorite card. Not only is she happy to have it in her deck because of its useful effect, she loves it because it’s so close to the heart of a character she adores.

When her fingertips make contact with it so she can pull it out and set it on the desk, a sudden jolt races up her arm. “Ah! Hey, what the h…”

She doesn’t have any time to recover. Before she can even question what just happened, her vision is filled with a flash of white. Then another. And another. It keeps flaring in her eyes, to the point that she can’t see. Her fingers are still clutching the card, even as she lets out a shout for her friends. “Hey! Akela! Rosalind!”

“Melanie!” The first response she gets is from Akela.

The next is from Rosalind. “What the fuck is going on?!”

“I don’t know!” For whatever reason, she can’t bring herself to let go of the card. White keeps cracking her vision into pieces, making her unable to see, even as she tries to get to her feet. _Gotta get to my friends…_ That’s the only thought in her mind. Whatever is happening, they need to face it together. As long as they have each other, it’s going to be okay.

She doesn’t get the chance to take even one step; the world around her spins, she loses her balance, and the floor comes up to meet her.

Her friends’ names pass her lips in a weak breath, and before she knows it, everything goes dark.

* * *

When Melanie opens her eyes, white fills her vision again, and she almost panics.

But after a moment of adjusting, she notices that the white isn’t the same as before. Before, it came in flashes like lightning, and this white is actually the color of the ceiling above her. Her muscles feel sore to the point that she’s not quite sure if she can move.

Where the hell is she? This isn’t the hotel. This isn’t the house she shares with Akela and Rosalind. Not her parents’ house, or any of her usual hangouts, or… anything. She has no idea where she is.

A quiet, “Ow,” slips out of her mouth as she tries to get her bearings. Her head feels like it’s floating, the rest of her body is tingling, and she has a brain fog that’s typically indicative of not having slept for a week.

Voices are drifting in from somewhere beyond the door of this room. The first is soft-spoken, although very clearly agitated, laced with a mild British accent. “― Can’t _believe_ you would do something like this, Yami! What were you thinking?”

The second voice carries a similar accent, but harsher in tone and just as agitated. “Listen, landlord, if you’re not going to believe what I tell you―”

“Because you’ve lied to me before, about smaller things than this!”

“But I’m not this time! I don’t know who that woman is, I didn’t do _anything_ to her, and even if I did, I certainly am not stupid enough to leave her on your doorstep for you to find and lecture me about morality! Frankly, the fact that you think I’m that much a fool is insulting!”

“Then where in the world did she come from and why was she unconscious? And why was she holding a Change of Heart card?”

“Ryou, exercise some critical thinking here. If I’m not the one who left her on the doorstep, _why would I have answers to either of those questions?!_ ”

“Well, there’s no need to bite my head off!”

“There is when you refuse to believe a word out of my mouth!”

“And why is it that I don’t, Yami? _Why_ do you think that is?”

“Because you despise my very existence!”

“Oh, I do _not…_ alright, fine. I can’t even speak to you when you’re acting this childish.” There’s some rustling from the same area the voices have been coming from, and this voice gets slightly louder. “I’m going to check to see if she’s woken up yet and if she can tell me anything. Please make yourself scarce for now, if you don’t mind.”

The other voice scoffs in disbelief. “Perhaps I do mind, but luckily I don’t want to speak to you either.”

Throughout the entire exchange, Melanie starts feeling her heart beat faster and her mind trying to work overtime. As far as she’s concerned, those voices sound like Ryou Bakura and his dark half. Not only that, but the way they’re speaking to each other all but confirms it.

How… is that possible? If she’s anywhere near Ryou Bakura, that means she has to be dreaming. There’s no other explanation.

If she’s dreaming, though, why does she feel entirely normal? This doesn’t feel like a dream. Besides, the last thing she remembers is being at work, starting to review her deck after she checked in that strange guest. She wouldn’t have fallen asleep at work; she’s gotten past the stage of dozing off at night while working.

Her train of thought is cut short when the door opens. Looking over, she sees that, surprisingly, her guess was correct. For all intents and purposes, the man who walks into the room looks almost exactly like a slightly older Ryou Bakura. His hair falls over his shoulders in soft white waves, his eyes are a rich chocolate hue, and he’s dressed in a blue-and-white striped sweater. He’s even more beautiful than the anime or manga painted him to be. In Melanie’s eyes, he looks like an absolute _angel._

“Oh! You’re awake!” His face brightens when he sees her, a smile gracing his features. The door is closed behind him, and he carefully sits down on the bed. “Thank goodness. I’m so, sorry you’ve awoken in a stranger’s house… you probably have a lot of questions. But it’s a very good sign that you’re awake!”

She can’t help but return the smile. He’s just how she always imagined he would be; he’s adorable and kind and caring. “I… don’t have as many questions as you might think, to be honest.”

“No?” He tilts his head, but he doesn’t look confused or nervous. “Well, perhaps that’s a good thing. I do still apologize, though.” His hand sets lightly on his chest. “Well, first things first, I should probably introduce myself. My name’s Ryou Bakura. What’s yours?”

“Oh, uh…” Oops. She was a little too busy staring at his face to react quickly to his inquiry. If this is a dream, she wants to enjoy every moment of it. If it’s not… she’ll have to figure out what the heck is going on here at some point. “Melanie Palmer. You can call me Mel if you want… my friends do.”

That thought conjures a picture of Akela’s and Rosalind’s faces in her mind. Her eyes widen and she moves to sit up. “Oh, my God, my friends!”

Ryou blinks in surprise, reaching carefully for her arm to keep her calm. “Oh, dear, your friends? Where are they, do you know? Are they okay?”

In her mind, she thinks that if this isn’t a dream, somehow she’s been transported to the world of _Yu-gi-oh._ If that’s what happened, then maybe Akela and Rosalind got transported here with her. Of course, the whole getting-thrown-into-a-fictional-universe thing isn’t an idea she wants to entertain until she’s absolutely certain this isn’t a dream. Still, contemplating where her friends might be in case this turns out to in fact not be a dream might be good to consider. “I’m… I’m not sure. To either question.”

She shifts around, peeling the sheet that’s been placed over her off as she thinks. “I think we got separated somehow. The last thing I remember, it was past midnight. Now it’s… afternoon?” If her friends did get thrown in here with her, where would they have ended up? She can’t think straight. “Looks like I lost a bunch of time.”

Looking over, she sees that Ryou’s smile has become sympathetic. “I know the feeling. Can you recall what you were all doing? When I found you, you were unconscious outside in the grass near my front door, so…” He perks up slightly. “Oh, that reminds me! There was a bag next to you that I assume was yours? And you were holding a Duel Monsters card…”

He reaches over to the table and sets said items down on the bed for her. “Here… I’ll understand if you can’t take my word for it, but I do promise I didn’t go through your things!”

“Oh, wow, thanks so much, R-Ryou.” She could kick herself at the way she stumbles over his name. It’s as if suddenly, the hundreds of times she’s said it before don’t even exist. Speaking directly to the person as opposed to talking about him to her friends is strange. “Uh… to answer your question, we were all at work.”

“At midnight? Goodness!” His smile is like sunshine. “It takes a special kind of person to work late nights like that. And you all work that shift?”

She nods as she goes to shuffle through her bag. Change of Heart is right there on the top, and various other personal items of hers are inside. The items inside are ones that she didn’t have while at work, not to mention that she wasn’t holding her bag when the light flashed in her field of vision. How did it travel with her ― if she ‘traveled’ here at all? And if she did somehow travel here… _how?_

What the hell _happened_ here?

“… What do you think? Melanie?” Ryou’s voice has sounded faraway for a moment, but suddenly it becomes apparent that he was talking to her, when he sets a hand gently against her shoulder. “Melanie?”

“Oh! Ah, shit, I’m… I’m sorry. I just… I don’t know what’s going on.” Feeling the heat rush to her face, she raises a hand to rub self-consciously at her cheek.

That smile is probably going to kill her. He’s just too cute! “That’s alright. I think it would be more concerning if you weren’t a little confused.”

She offers a smile of her own, almost shy. “Still, sorry. Um, what were you saying?”

“Well, I… do you have a cell phone? Maybe you could ring your friends… see where they are and if they’re okay. If you don’t, you’re welcome to use my landline.”

It’s as if a light bulb goes on in her head. “Oh! I do! I have a phone!” God, that was embarrassing. What’s wrong with her that she’s even more awkward than usual? “I, uh… that’s a good idea.” Melanie digs into her purse and pulls out her phone. Maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising that it’s already on. After all, she’s allowed to have her phone on at work, and she did before all this happened.

What is surprising, though, is that there are like three missed calls from Rosalind. No voicemails, though.

“My one friend called me,” she says, looking up toward Ryou. “But she didn’t leave a message, and there’s no texts or missed calls from my other friend. That’s… so weird that only Rosalind would try calling or texting. I mean… I’d expect Akela to text me, too.”

The idea that one of her friends might have been hurt or something because she’d somehow dragged them into this with her is unbearable.

Her finger scrolls through the missed calls and even looks at her texts to double check that nothing is there that she wasn’t alerted to. “I hope they’re both okay…”

“Why don’t you ring ― Rosalind? Why don’t you ring her back and see where she is? And if you’re worried, I don’t think it would hurt to try ringing… Akela, right?” Ryou steps toward the door and opens it up. “Here; I’ll give you some privacy to make your calls. Once you’re done, come on out and join me in the kitchen. It’ll be down the stairs and to the right. I’ll make us some tea and we can figure out what to do from here, alright?”

Despite this whole crazy, impossible situation, Melanie can’t help but feel her heart skip a beat. He’s being so _nice_ to her. She’s a stranger he found passed out on his doorstep and he’s treating her like a friend.

Every episode and every clip of him she’s ever seen and every pixelated interaction her player has ever had with him in a game couldn’t prepare her for meeting him. Those things all have shown her what he’s like, yet they don’t do him justice at all. Even with all the issues he’s had in his life (and anyway, which backstory applies here? If this is the ‘real’ Ryou Bakura, what has his life been like? What’s the truth?), he’s so unfailingly kind that he wouldn’t even think of _not_ helping her regardless of the fact that this is _nuts._

She nearly starts crying right then. It’s too much. All he really knows about her is that he doesn’t know anything, and that she doesn’t know what’s going on, but he still wants to take her in and try to help her figure all this out. “I… t-thank you. I’ll be out in… in a few minutes.”

He smiles again, that sweet thing that looks so gentle and unsure, with his brows slightly knit together and his eyes fluttered shut. “Take your time, love.”

As soon as he shuts the door, Melanie falls back on the bed, kicking her legs and stifling a squeal as if she’s back to being sixteen years old and utterly smitten with a character on television. _Love. LOVE?!_ He really just called her that. A pet name in that adorable accent, five minutes after meeting him, in such a reassuring tone.

If she doesn’t wake up soon or if it turns out she’s staying in this dimension or whatever, she’s not sure how long she’s going to last with this man continuing to be so… _precious!_

It takes a few seconds for her to recover, and even then she’s really not fully recovered. She has to collect herself and figure out where her friends are. Assuming she’s stuck here for a while ― wherever _here_ is ― there will be plenty of time for losing her mind over attractive guys.

She quickly hits the number for Rosalind’s contact in her phone, figuring that it would be best to call the friend who’s already tried to reach her several times. If Rosalind picks up, she’ll call Akela too afterwards.

For a moment, Melanie thinks she’s going to go to voicemail; she loses count of how many times the phone rings. Finally, though, Rosalind’s voice meets her ears, sounding like the other woman has been crying.

“ _Melanie?! What’s going_ _ **on?!**_ ”


End file.
